EmmaHarwood
Get to Know Me!
Hey, there! I’m so excited you’ve found my site and I cannot wait to share my passion for nutrition with you! Before we get into the good stuff, let me introduce myself so you know where I get all my information, what motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle, and how I came up with “Emma’s Mindful Meals.” Plus, it’s always nice to make new friends and I’m sure we have at least one thing in common: a love for food!
I’m Emma Harwood, a student majoring in nutrition and dietetics at Virginia Tech. I’ve always been into food and exercise as I started playing sports as young as I can remember and stuck with them even through college (thank you Mom and Dad for cheering me on at who knows how many basketball tournaments). I knew I needed to be mindful of how much I was eating and that the foods I chose would fuel my body to perform its best. Starting in 6th grade I would count calories and create daily meal plans for myself. While my mindset in nutrition has expanded to more than just how many calories I consume, this was the start of paying close attention to how certain foods made me feel and employing a conscious effort to ensure I was eating enough for my active lifestyle.
Funny enough, majoring in dietetics was not my initial plan. Honestly, I didn’t really have a set plan for a career other than knowing I wanted to be active while helping others. Several months of research and a few transfer credits later, I was officially on the educational path to become a registered dietitian. This is exactly what I want to be doing and every day I’m inspired to work hard and learn more to provide the highest quality nutritional information to everyone wanting to live healthier!
My evolving educational background in nutrition provides me with the foundational knowledge to write these articles, create recipes, and provide dietary advice. Everything you find on my site comes from material I’ve learned in classes through projects I’ve completed and additional outside research I’ve conducted. I work within several areas of dietetics at school which allows me hands-on experience and real-world applications of a career as a Registered Dietitian (RD). I guarantee the articles including scientific information are backed up by evidence-based research. Opinion pieces stem from my knowledge and experience in the field of dietetics. I only want to provide with you sound nutritional advice that can be personalized to your needs!
Writing has also been a passion of mine as I started writing my own “novels” as a kindergartener (hopefully my writing has improved over time 😊). Since becoming Editor-in-Chief for a collegiate organization’s blog, I became even more determined to create my own content, which is how “Emma’s Mindful Meals” came to be. This site allows me to combine my love for writing, nutrition, and educating others by providing a platform where you can confidently know how to make conscious, healthy eating choices while still enjoying the foods you love! I want to be able to reach anyone looking to improve their health, try new recipes, or broaden their horizon in the field of nutrition.
Life is all about balance, and while nutrition is a major aspect of mine, here are some fun facts that help describe who I am: I’ve moved around a lot and currently live in upstate New York where I enjoy skiing, hiking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with the people I love most. Going to the beach, attending concerts, working out, and reading (any Harry Potter fans out there?!) are some of my favorite activities. I’m actively involved at Virginia Tech as I work, shadow, and volunteer in addition to my academic requirements. The Hokies are big football and basketball fans, so you can catch me at those games too! I have a severe peanut and tree nut allergy, which is another reason nutrition is close to my heart. Because of this, every recipe I make is completely nut-free! I absolutely love being creative in the kitchen and altering recipes to meet my needs. You’ll find that substituting ingredients is very easy and may even make the original recipe taste even better!
I hope this has helped you get to know me and why nutrition is such a big aspect of my life. I’d love to get to know YOU! Make sure to follow me on social media @emmasmindfulmeals and leave comments, DMs, or email me at emmasmindfulmeals@gmail.com! I want to hear what nutritional topics you want me to write about or recipes you’d like to see me make! Thanks for sticking around this long and I hope you’ll stay. Now, let’s get to eating, learning, and becoming more mindful together!
xo,
Emma